& I'll try and answer to best of my ability ...

About survival, you mean?

I've just been reading about some chick;

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/11/09/rcmp-believe-missing-japanese-psychiatrist-had-suicidal-plan-to-disappear-into-wilderness-outside-yellowknife/

Uh I guess, like digging a "Dakota Firepit" that will actually cut down on smoke.

Quote from: Gator Monroe on November 21, 2014, 05:07:32 PM
Uh I guess, like digging a "Dakota Firepit" that will actually cut down on smoke.

If you're being hunted. 

That's different from regular survival. 

Quote from: Gator Monroe on November 21, 2014, 05:07:32 PM
Uh I guess, like digging a "Dakota Firepit" that will actually cut down on smoke.

Never heard of it,,,what is it and how do you do it please. For real,,,seriously

Quote from: Elfie on November 22, 2014, 06:03:55 AM
Never heard of it,,,what is it and how do you do it please. For real,,,seriously

You dig down minimally 18" create a system where the base of the fire can draw air down to the bottom.
We used these in the army, but we cheated, you look for gopher hole, or rotted out tree stumps which have several existing tunnels to draw air through.
The idea is to give the fire all the air it wants, less air = more smoke, but when you conceal the fire, you have to give it an airway, or it will just smother out down in the hole without airflow.

One issue with this kind of fire, is lack of radiant heat, but they're excellent to cook over.
If you need heat, build up  the above ground walls with nonporous rock like quartz, but avoid shale, the gasses trapped will explode, making small cuts, or worst case scenario, blindness, extensive bleeding leading to death.

As you build the wall of rock, start wide and taper it in as you go up, this tends to create a venturi effect that increases the energy of the fire, but requires more wood. But this will capture the heat as it rises, leaving you with a radiant heater above ground.

But seriously heed my words when building a fire ring, always use the hardest rock available. Shale (sedimentary rock) traps gasses over millions of year, and I've had them completely blow up my campfire.
I did everything right, but I didn't see the one chunk of shale on the ground when I assembled the ring, and it exploded like an M-80, no kidding.

I think "Survival" conversations should include TEOTWAWKI options too,do you guys ?

Quote from: Gator Monroe on November 22, 2014, 09:28:57 AM
I think "Survival" conversations should include TEOTWAWKI options too,do you guys ?

Only if you're a fatalist.
I doubt you'll find any like minded here, which is why they're here, they want to make change.
To believe the end is inevitable, is to surrender all hope of restoring our Constitution.

Have you given up already? And don't give me that shit about being a pragmatist or realist, those are nothing but excuses designed to hide pessimism.

I train & prepare (After all I live smack dab in the middle of two volcanoes (Shasta & Lassen) in Ultra Rural Eastern Shasta County ( Southern Cascades)

Quote from: Gator Monroe on November 22, 2014, 11:05:01 AM
I train & prepare (After all I live smack dab in the middle of two volcanoes (Shasta & Lassen) in Ultra Rural Eastern Shasta County ( Southern Cascades)

Then it makes complete sense. I too live in the Sierra wilderness, and fire is one of the things that can bring out the animal in anyone.

Quote from: Gator Monroe on November 22, 2014, 11:05:01 AM
I train & prepare (After all I live smack dab in the middle of two volcanoes (Shasta & Lassen) in Ultra Rural Eastern Shasta County ( Southern Cascades)

Soooo you're not part of a militia. It's illegal in California. You can be a part of a club or something but you and your drinking buddies does not constitute a militia. Not sure why you feel we'd all be chomping at the bit to ask a "militia" member survival questions. I reckon most here are more qualified than you in the art of survival. Certainly more qualified than you give them credit for.

No , Militia is legal in California (Its in the State Constitution that all adult males 18-45 are automatically Militia if called up by Governor, thus we train for this potentiality), I have been in the largest one in the Nation for 3 years (California State Milita ) which has 1000 + active members

Quote from: Solar on November 22, 2014, 08:31:06 AM
You dig down minimally 18" create a system where the base of the fire can draw air down to the bottom.
We used these in the army, but we cheated, you look for gopher hole, or rotted out tree stumps which have several existing tunnels to draw air through.
The idea is to give the fire all the air it wants, less air = more smoke, but when you conceal the fire, you have to give it an airway, or it will just smother out down in the hole without airflow.

One issue with this kind of fire, is lack of radiant heat, but they're excellent to cook over.
If you need heat, build up  the above ground walls with nonporous rock like quartz, but avoid shale, the gasses trapped will explode, making small cuts, or worst case scenario, blindness, extensive bleeding leading to death.

As you build the wall of rock, start wide and taper it in as you go up, this tends to create a venturi effect that increases the energy of the fire, but requires more wood. But this will capture the heat as it rises, leaving you with a radiant heater above ground.

But seriously heed my words when building a fire ring, always use the hardest rock available. Shale (sedimentary rock) traps gasses over millions of year, and I've had them completely blow up my campfire.
I did everything right, but I didn't see the one chunk of shale on the ground when I assembled the ring, and it exploded like an M-80, no kidding.

Thanks solar,  this sounds much like the firepit we have,  its but a foot deep,steel ring.  But now I know when I try and practice my smokeless fires, why its is extremely difficult, I can do it but not everytime.  Now I know it has a proper name.

Quote from: Elfie on November 23, 2014, 06:33:33 AM
Thanks solar,  this sounds much like the firepit we have,  its but a foot deep,steel ring.  But now I know when I try and practice my smokeless fires, why its is extremely difficult, I can do it but not everytime.  Now I know it has a proper name.

A good cheap home method is old cast iron sewer pipe. Break off one end at an angle, take a hammer and knock holes in the side of the pipe near the angled end and slide it down along the outside the outer ring of the fire.
This will allow the fire to draw outside air and lay a flat sheet of steel over the fire to cook on without smothering out the fire, and allow you to conceal it if necessary for whatever reason.

As a kid in the early 60s my dad and I dug a fire pit to smoke a pig and the pipe actually let in too much air, so he had to cover it a bit.

Quote from: Gator Monroe on November 22, 2014, 10:44:30 PM
No , Militia is legal in California (Its in the State Constitution that all adult males 18-45 are automatically Militia if called up by Governor, thus we train for this potentiality), I have been in the largest one in the Nation for 3 years (California State Milita ) which has 1000 + active members

Nope. Google is your friend. Being in California and within that age range, I can claim to be a militia member by your "logic." Regardless, militias are not legal in California despite what your drinking buddies you "train" with tell you.